Chapter Seven: Undertaker
A cock crows somewhere off to the distance, waking me from my slumber. I slowly remember the events from the previous night, Ichabod returning late, the storm, and the coffin. I immediately make my way to Ichabod's room, and knock on the door. I assume he is already up and investigating as there is no answer. I have my breakfast in the kitchen, and then, some minutes later I hear Ichabod coming down the stairs, and he enters the kitchen rubbing his head.
"Good morning, Claire," he addresses me and I reply.
"I assumed you had gone to investigate the happenings of last night," I say, pouring tea from a teapot. He takes a sip.
"Oh yes, last night, the coffin outside the church. I must go at once," he says, putting his tea down and leaving, to get dressed. I quickly finish my tea and knock on his bedroom door. He answers, inviting me to enter, and I do, he is finishing dressing in his usual black and I sit down on the end of his bed.
"Would you like me to come with you, Ichabod?" I ask. He looks at me.
"Only if you feel alright with the situation," he says. I do, I know he would rather be with someone when he sees the body and I feel almost prepared for it, after the previous time. I hasten to get dressed.
Outside the church the coffin is laying flat, as the other had been standing, but with the high winds last night this is understandable. As we walk down the street some other villagers stir, as it is just past dawn. As we get to the church a few people come out of their houses, but not a great many, although when the first see what has taken place it is not long before the whole village is awoken and standing by the church. Ichabod and myself as in the midst of the hustle.
"Who is it?" is nearly all that is heard from the gathering crowd, although people are calling out names of people they can not see, and occasionally I hear an 'it is not me, I am here' from someone. Ichabod waits patiently for the undertaker to appear, but when he does not, he and Father Samuell open the coffin and the whole village cranes to have a look. It is the undertaker, Mr. Fawcett. There are gasps from the crowd, and I notice someone fainting. Ichabod and Father Samuell immediately take the coffin and occupant to the undertakers, where there is such a work place to put the coffin. Once inside the undertakers, the doctor is called for and the village shut out. Father Samuell, Ichabod and I stand in the room, with the open coffin laying on the table. A knock comes at the door and we open it for the doctor. I do not spend too long with the body, and I sit in another room for a while, while the doctor and Ichabod inspect it. When they have completed their inspection, and are summarizing their finds I join them.
"Suffocation again, nail marks on the inside lid of the coffin. Poison on the lips, but a poor amount. Exactly the same as poor Mr. Brinner. I will take some skin from the lips and mouth and identify the poison, if you could find Mr. Fawcett's report of Mr. Brinner's death, I shall see if the poisons match. What do you think, Constable?" asks the doctor.
"It is most definitely the same murderer. Again, they knew the storm would have us all safely tucked inside our houses, there would be nobody out at such a time. But the link between Mr. Brinner and Mr. Fawcett, I am yet unsure about. Though there must be one. Father Samuell, with no undertaker and no one educated in that field in the village, can I assume that the body will be buried as it stands, as soon as possible?" asks Ichabod as the doctor takes a few flakes of skin from Mr. Fawcett's lips and tongue.
"Yes, we will arrange a funeral at once, is the body to be kept here?"
"Yes, although, speculation and intrigue will have captured the whole village, it would be best if we could bury the body some time tomorrow. Mr. Fawcett had no family, I understand?" asks Ichabod.
"None that anyone in the village knows of," replies the Father.
"Right. I shall ask my questions then, and hopefully ask the entire village before the day is out. But first I will ask you, did any of you see anything last night, anything out of the ordinary? And do you know of a possible connection between the two dead men?" Both men, doctor and Father shake their heads, implying no. Ichabod turns to me.
"And you did not see anything, Claire?"
"No, I was out of bed only a minute or two before you, and was so concerned with closing the door," I reply.
"Yes, of course. Well, Claire, I can not ask anything more from you. I must continue," and with that we both leave the body of the late Mr. Fawcett in his own rooms, with the doctor and Father. I leave Ichabod to return to the house, I only realize that I have not kept to my housekeeping situation since the murder of Mr. Brinner. Ichabod returns to the church, where the vast majority of villagers are, awaiting information.